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Wishing you a Happy Halloween

It should come as no surprise, Halloween is my favorite holiday of the year. It brings me fond memories of working on costumes with my mom and grandma, and the thrill of pretending to be something different while dashing through the night with friends. Now that I’m on the other side of the treat distribution, pumpkin carving is one of my favorite Halloween traditions, and this year, as in past years, I spent a ridiculous amount of time mulling over what to carve. I knew I wanted to do just one big pumpkin instead of several smaller ones, and I was sketching up a witch’s sabbat scene, but I just wasn’t feeling it. Then I heard the news that one of my favorite musicians, Michael Derks, has been diagnosed with a potentially fatal bone cancer, myelofibrosis. You may never have heard of him, but you’ve probably heard of the band he plays in: Gwar.

For the uninitiated, Gwar is a metal band of degenerate alien warriors, who put on spectacularly messy shows and regularly test the bounds of free speech and good taste. It’s a labor of love, and I admire the sheer amount of work they put into such glorious weirdness. They’re great musicians, and work hard to create their props, costumes, and mythologies. Derks has been a part of Gwar since 1988 and for most of that time has played guitar as the character Balsac, The Jaws of Death.

The man inside the alien is a good guy, and he’s continuing their current tour despite needing periodic transfusions. He’s going to need a bone marrow transplant if he’s going to beat myelofibrosis, so he’s set up a virtual donor drive to help get more potential donors registered. By registering you help create a larger pool of potential donors for EVERYONE who needs a bone marrow transplant. You can find out more here.

The Wyrm screen print on maple wood veneer. I usually sort prints on the table, but I held this one up and was surprised by how translucent it is!

I’ve been feverishly working to complete my large-scale project for Three Hands Press. The final deadline is May 15th, and although I am eschewing nearly every activity other than art-making, I made a commitment last year to be part of Norwescon 40 this week, so I’ll be heading up to Seattle tomorrow, and I’m taking a lot of art with me, including the new Wyrm screen prints.

Where you can find me at Norwescon
This annual sci-fi/fantasy convention will take place in SeaTac, Washington on April 13th – 16th, in which participants will be treated to over 500 hours of panel programming featuring more than 200 panelists. These panels cover fantasy and science fiction writing, art, cosplay, genre TV and film, and much more. This year, I will be appearing as a panelist in addition to contributing a selection of my framed and unframed prints to the art show, and offering a live carving demonstration. Below is the list of events I’ll be taking part in:

Since I’m heading up to the Seattle area, I’ll be restocking my inventory at Gargoyles Statuary on Thursday, which means my newest pins—Bee and Sabbatic Goat—will be available there! If you already own some of my pins, now’syour chance to expand your collection with these newest additions.

The new Sabbatic Goat pin, coming soon to Gargoyles Statuary in Seattle!

On another important note, The High Art of Hand-Pulled Printmaking, which was originally scheduled to open this month will instead be opening on June 24th in the Collins Gallery at the Multnomah County Library in Portland. This show is intended to educate the public about the process of printmaking, so tools and materials will be on display alongside the completed woodcut prints. The show runs through September 3rd with a reception on July 1st.

After Norwescon, I’ll probably be scarce until May 15th, the deadline of my current project. I can’t release any details until it’s finalized, but suffice it to say a substantial body of new work is in the making. I look forward to sharing it with you!

Krampus is designed from my original woodcut art. The lapel pin will be rendered in nickel-free 24k gold plate and soft enamel to give a bit of extra dimension to the pin. I expect to ship the finished pins in early November and will package them in paper jewelry boxes with tissue paper. (International customers ordering multiple pins, please note, in order to save you from much higher shipping fees, I will pack multiple pins into one jewelry box.)

The Krampus enamel pin will retail for $15, but if you pre-order before October 21st, you pay just $10.

Please note, because this is a pre-order there may be some slight changes to the design as the pins are made. Based on my experience with the Raven and Cthulhu pins, the most likely alteration will to be more metal around the perimeter of the enamel. If any major changes are necessary, I will message those who have already ordered with the updated concept art.

I’ve been a fan of lapel pins for years and enjoy collecting them. I love good quality pins because in addition to making lapels more exciting, they are lasting and portable keepsakes. Creating my own has been a personal goal for quite some time, so I’m excited to announce my first enameled lapel pin, the Raven. The Raven lapel pin is designed from my original woodcut art with a color scheme based upon a color artist proof. Rendered in gold plate and soft enamel with sandblasted elements (key and flames) to give a bit of extra dimension to the finished pin. As you can see in the concept art below, we’re packing a lot of detail into this sturdy little (1.25 inch) pin! The Raven pin will be priced at $15 each, but if you pre-order now, it will yours for just $10 plus $3 shipping within the USA.

This pre-order price offer ends as soon as the pins are finished, and production has already begun. Unless a delay arises, I expect the pins to be ready to ship before the end of July, so place your pre-order while you can!

David Bowie has been an inspiration to me since childhood. I can remember watching the Glass Spider tour on TV, and dancing to “Fashion” and “Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) with my stuffed animals when they came on the radio. As a teenager I subscribed us to Bowienet internet service and was active in the online Bowie fan community, trading CDs with people all around the world — one online friend, even ended up working for him and got me his autograph. My mom and I traveled to New York City for his 50th birthday concert at Madison Square Garden — we stood in line hours to get a decent place on the floor. We still talk about it to this day. He was great to see live, and if I had a time machine, I’d use it to see shows from his entire career.

I’ve never admired another artist more, and I’m grateful he got to end with a successful musical and a haunting new album.

This year has been flying by, and I’m about ready to settle in for a long winter’s work on new art! But first, through December 5th, you can use the coupon code WINTER2015 in my Etsy store for free shipping within the United States. Simply apply the code to any purchase totaling $20 or more and then brace yourself for that hot free shipping action! After all, it’s the holiday season, and who isn’t looking to save a few bucks wherever we can?

And speaking of the holidays, December 5th happens to be a special day for another reason, too: Krampusnacht, of course! On this holiday costumed celebrants take to the streets with clanging bells and torches blazing in a parade known as Krampuslauf. Traditionally celebrated in Germany and Austria, Krampusnacht has begun to catch on in the United States, and Krampuslaufs are cropping up in cities all over, including here at home in Portland, Oregon!

Speaking of Krampus, although my woodcut print sold out this year, I’m now offering Krampus greeting cards! Available as individual cards or six packs to convey your seasons greetings, these unique wood veneer cards are available in an array of natural woods. (And if Krampus isn’t your style, you’ll find more varieties here.)

Also, for those of you living here in Portland, I have just two more events to look forward to before 2015 winds to a close. The first is the Bite Studio show this Friday, December 4th, from 6 PM to 10 PM. We’ll be celebrating the 10th anniversary of Bite Studio with an array of our best prints. My selection includes my very first woodcut print, two
unique hand-altered prints, and the most complex print I’ve made to date. (Please note, I will not be in attendance all night, because I will be setting up for my last event of the year.)

Next on the schedule is the annual da Vinci Arts Fair this Saturday at Portland’s da Vinci Arts Middle School. This
yearly event brings artists from all around Portland into the school to sell their work, with proceeds helping to support da Vinci’s arts and academic classes. I’ll be there Saturday, December 5th from 10 AM – 6 PM with a selection of prints, cards, bookmarks, and magnets—ideal for stocking stuffers—as well as my popular Krampus shirts. Stop by and say hello!

Lastly, beginning on December 11th some of my work will be showing as part of the Print Arts Northwest exhibition From Here to Thereat the Coos Art Museum in Coos Bay, Oregon. The show runs through February 6th, 2016.

Looks like Halloween is going to be a soggy one here in Portland, Oregon. Hope it doesn’t keep the trick-or-treaters indoors, because getting to see the costumes is part of what I love about Halloween! I realize some folks don’t care much for the scary aspects of the holiday, but for those out there who are weird like me, this is the best holiday. You get to play at being someone else for a bit, test your bravery against the dark, and if you like creating, you’ve got so many opportunities in the form of costumes, decorations, pumpkins, make-up, even just making funny voices! Have some fun, and watch out for the little goblins out there tonight.

If Halloween isn’t enough to fill your need for scares, the Living Dead Convention is happening November 13-15 in Portland, Oregon. I’ll be in the vending room with my most horror appropriate works.

I have exciting news to share. First, since returning from PantheaCon in San Jose last month, I’ve been busily carving a few new blocks, most of which will be a new series of work. At the moment I can’t reveal much about the contents, but here’s a small teaser for you. (Note, you’re actually looking at two blocks here, the one on the right is further along and has been inked and proofed for the first time.)

Speaking of new work, fans of the Arcanum Bestiarum illustrations will be happy to learn the Raven is now available as a bookmark! Each one is laser printed on one- or two-ply natural wood veneer and measures 6 x 2 inches. They retail for $4 each and are available in a wide variety of different woods all of which are sustainably harvested in the USA. I’m extremely happy with how the bookmarks have turned out and am planning on creating more.

And now onto upcoming events …

Coming up on March 7th and 8th is the 25th annual Buckman Art Show & Sell at Buckman Elementary School in Portland, Oregon. This two-day event will feature the work of 140 artists and craftspersons offering original artwork, furniture, jewelry, textiles, and more. Thirty percent of the proceeds will be donated to the Buckman Arts Focus Elementary School PTA to go toward the purchase of essential supplies for Buckman’s arts-integrated classrooms, with the remaining 70% going directly to the participating artists. In lieu of an admission fee, attendees can make a suggested donation of $2 – $5 at the door. Children four and under get in free– and can make some art of their own while there! Follow the Buckman Art Show on Facebook and Twitter for additional details, and I hope to see you there!

Next up, at 5:00 PM on April 3rd is the opening night reception of Visionary Art by Print Arts Northwest. This event will kick off an exhibition exploring themes including transcendence, mysticism, spirituality, and the natural elements. Visionary Art is scheduled to run through April 22nd at Lake Oswego’s Museum 510. For more information, visit the Arts Council of Lake Oswego’s events calendar.

The Lovecraft fans among you will want to mark CthulhuCon PDX down on your calendars. Join me April 25th & 26th at Crowne Plaza in Portland, Oregon for a convention celebrating Lovecraft’s 125th birthday year, complete with art, film, music, and panels. The following month, the Los Angeles edition of the popular H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival comes to San Pedro, California for its sixth year running. Festival-goers can play games, enjoy the live radio theatre production The Shadow Over Innsmouth, watch short films, and meet guest authors, directors, and artists.

H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival San Pedro is only one of several upcoming events outside of Portland, so if you live elsewhere in the U.S. I encourage you to check out my events page. I just may be visiting your neighborhood in the near future, be it at NecronomiCon in Providence, Rhode Island, or my solo show at Gargoyles Statuary in Seattle, Washington beginning July 17th.

2014 is nearing its conclusion, and I’m closing out the year with just two more shows! I’ll be shipping worldwide as usual (see the bottom of this post for free shipping codes), but if you’d like to get out and see works in person before the new year, you have two more opportunities this weekend.

First, I’ll be participating in Bite Studio‘s Holiday Print Show on December 5th. This First Friday show will take place at Portland, Oregon’s Bite Studio, located at 2000 SE 7th Ave. The show will run from 6 – 10 PM and will feature all-new prints from Bite’s resident printmakers. Due to a scheduling conflict I won’t be attending until later in the night, but there will be plenty of terrific art to enjoy in the meantime. (Click the link above to visit Bite’s homepage and view a sampling of some of the incredibly diverse work you can expect to see.)

The following night, the tenth annual da Vinci Arts Fair is coming up on December 6th and 7th at da Vinci Arts Middle School, located at 2508 NE Everett St. in Portland, Oregon. To commemorate the occasion, I’ve created a special woodcut paying homage to Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. Mona #1 has been framed and will be raffled during the arts fair, and 100% of the proceeds will help fund arts and academic programs for da Vinci students. The remaining nine prints will be available to purchase ($80 each) along with a wide selection of my other work, including a few seasonal items like Gruss vom Krampus. All sales of Mona, and all purchases at the Fair benefit the students of da Vinci Arts Middle School. For those of you curious about the creation of Mona, check out the videos below to watch me ink the woodblock and then pull a print.

That’s it for 2014 events. My first event in the New Year will be the 2015 Curious Gallery PDX, January 10th and 11th at the Crowne Plaza Portland-Downtown Convention Center, 1441 NE 2nd Ave. Visit their homepage for more info, including links to the Curious Gallery Google+, Twitter, and Facebook pages.

Free Shipping!

Finally, the free shipping offer announced in my last blog post is still in effect through December 10th, so now’s the time to take advantage of it. Orders placed before December 15th should arrive in time for Christmas, so if you’re planning on giving the gift of art this holiday season, don’t hesitate! If you’re in the United States, use THANKS2014 for free shipping on orders of $20 or more. International collectors, please use WINTER2014 for free shipping on orders of $50 or more. These codes are valid in both my online store and Etsy shop.

Thank you to everyone who turned out for the Beasts of Lore opening night reception last weekend! For those of you in the Medford, Oregon area who couldn’t make it but still hope to see the show, let me remind you that Beasts of Lore will remain up through November 21st at Rogue Gallery & Art Center. More details available here. You can also read a write-up of the show in the Mail Tribune here.

Also, for those of you in Portland, Oregon, you can still catch my solo show at Redux through November. There will be more events on the way in the weeks to come, so stay tuned and don’t forget to follow me on Facebook for regular photos and updates!

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